The Scottish Fold
Scottish Fold, breed of shorthaired cat, the result of a genetic mutation
that causes the ears to fold down. All Scottish folds can trace their ancestry
back to Susie, the first fold-eared cat, who was discovered in Scotland
in 1961 by Mary and William Ross, the founders of the breed. Susie's parents
were ordinary farm cats; her folded ears were the result of a spontaneous
genetic mutation.
The Scottish fold is a controversial
breed because the gene that causes the folded ears may also cause cartilage
abnormalities in the joints; affected cats suffer from a condition similar
to arthritis. Many breeders believe that these problems can be avoided
by careful selection of breeding stock and by cross-breeding the fold with
the exotic shorthair, a shorthaired Persian; the American shorthair, a
sturdy cat with a short, square muzzle; and the British shorthair, a strong,
hardy cat with a round head and round eyes. The fold is most often crossbred
with the British shorthair.
The Scottish fold is a gentle, quiet cat with
a sweet facial expression. Its small ears fold forward and downward and
are set like a cap on its rounded head. It has large round eyes, a short
nose, and full rounded cheeks. Its body is medium-sized and well padded.
Its tail should be at least two-thirds as long as its body, and must be
flexible; a short, stiff tail is considered a serious defect, since it
could indicate joint stiffening elsewhere in the body. The fold also comes
in a longhaired variety called the Scottish fold longhair.
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